The Washington Capitals announced that Chris Patrick has been promoted to General Manager and Senior Vice President. Patrick will be the seventh GM in Capitals history. Previous GM, Brian MacLellan will continue to serve as the team’s President of Hockey Operations.
The Washington Capitals have promoted Chris Patrick to senior vice president and general manager.
Brian MacLellan, who served as general manager for the past 10 seasons, will remain as president of hockey operations, a position he has held since 2023.#ALLCAPS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 8, 2024
Chris Patrick Promoted to Washington Capitals General Manager
After MacLellan served for ten years as the Washington Capitals GM, the organization decided to promote from within and give the GM role to Patrick with MacLellan remaining as President of Hockey Operations. The Capitals believe this will be a strong leadership group as Patrick will serve as the point person for talking with other GMs around the league and attending GM meetings while still reporting to MacLellan.
Patrick has been with the organization for 16 seasons including one year as associate GM in 2023-24. Other roles Patrick has held include in player development and scouting, pro scouting, director of player personnel, and as assistant general manager. While this is his first crack at being a GM, Patrick does not come into this role without a heavy dose of experience. While associate GM he handled various aspects of team management including contract negotiations, overseeing analytics, working with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, and overseeing the pro scouting department. As far as playing experience, Patrick played four years of NCAA hockey at Princeton before the Capitals selected him in the eighth round of the 1994 NHL Draft.
Looking Forward
As many teams have made changes to their GM positions this offseason, the Capitals have joined the list. This will be a big opportunity for Patrick moving forward. He has shown success in assisting with the Hershey Bears who have won multiple Calder Cup Championships under his tenure. In addition, he was a part of the Capitals management in place when the team won the Stanley Cup. The Capitals made a number of significant changes this offseason as they seek to remain in the playoff picture while Alex Ovechkin is still around. Working through some transitional times will be a good challenge for the new GM.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
